Edmund morris



(No'Model.) v n E. MORRIS.

, CROSSING NEEDLE EOE GANE WEAVING. No. 534,342. Patented. Feb. 19,1895.

@hmmag/J UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

EDMUND MOR-RIS, OF` MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO FORD,

\ JOHNSON & CO., OF SAME PLACE.

CROSSING-NEEDLE FOR CANE-WEAVIgNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 534,342, dated February19, 1 895.

Application filed August 7, 1894. Serial No. 519,664. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Michigan City, in the eountyof La Porte and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCrossing-Needles for Weaving Cane, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates especially to needles used for Weaving strips ofcane or similar textile material into fabrics, such as open cane webbingfor chair seats, chair backs, and the like. The square part of this kindof webbing, consisting of warps and fillings arranged in pairs withsquare spaces or meshes between them is, as is well understood, woven ina plain loom or weaving-machine. Strips of cane are then inserteddiagonally through the meshes of the mat, over the warp and under thefilling strands, by means of especially constructed needles. Theseneedles have usually, heretotore, been made of a single piece ot' metal,formed integrally with a perforated tip constituting the eye. Suchneedles, and the manner of operating them are well illustrated inLetters Patent of the United States, No. 243,012, granted June 14, 1881,to Ford, Johnson du Company, of Michigan City, Indiana, as the assigneesof H. E. Tylander. The needle shown in this patent has workedefficiently, but I find that there is an advantage in making the tip oreye or the end of the needle near the eye flexible and elastic orpliable 'in order that, in pulling the needle through the mat, it maybend and again assume its normal shape, as it passes over and under eachstrand, thereby avoiding injury to the mat.

The eye in the Tylander needle above referred to is punched out from theflattened tip-end of the shaft, and, in some instances, breaks easily,and when broken, the entire needle is useless. ltherefore provide aremovable tip, in order that, should it break, it may be readilyreplaced by a new one; but I also make the tip in such manner that it isless liable to break than'the tips heretofore used.

The construction of my improved tip is such thatthe eye is enlarged, andmay therefore be more readily threaded, and the walls of the eye aresmooth and not liable to cut or injure the cane strips.

In carrying out my invention,I preferably form the tip of a single pieceof steel Wirel bent into loop form, and provide the end of the shaft ofthe needle with a socket to receive the ends of the loop. This socketmay be formed either by providing a recess in the end of the shaft, orby employing a sleeve secured to the end of the shaft, and adapted toreceive the ends of 'the loop.

The details of construction and subjectmatter claimed are hereinafterspecified.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of acrossing needle embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,on an enlarged scale, of one end of the needle. Fig. 3 showsa view,partly in section, of the same end of the needle, and Fig. shows a view,partly in section and partly in elevation, of a modification.

The shaft A, which is usually from two to three feet long, is preferablymade of round steel wire, and it is provided on one end with a collar B,by means of which it may be held correctly in a chuck forming part ofthe machine which operates the needle. It will be understood, however,that the needle may be operated either by hand or by machinery.

The tip C, is preferably made of round wire, bent into a loop, but itmay be made of flat or other shaped wire, similarly formed. It is bentsomewhat after the manner of the Tylander needle above referred to, buthas an additional bend at its extreme outer end, being thus somewhatS-shaped in side elevation as shown in Fig. 2. It has a long narrow eyeor aperture c, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the adjacent, parallel endsc', of the loop, are arrangedina socket at the end of the needle shaft.

By bending the needle as above specified, the tip or extreme outer endwill be flattened so that when pulling the needle backward through thefabric, the attened tip will move along in contact with the strips ofcaneinstead of presenting a narrower, and hence sharper, edge to thecane. The double bend above referred to also facilitates in interweavingthe needle with the cane when revolve on its forward movement. v

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' secured in place by solder.

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In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the socket is shown as consisting of a sleeve D,bored to form a recess d, in which the ends c', of the Wire arearranged, and in which they are preferably secured by solder. The sleeveis also formed with a recess or socket at ol', to receive the end of theshaft A, which is also preferably Between the recesses d, d', there is aweb or partition d2, preferably formed integrally with the body of thesleeve. The ends of the loop and the end of the shaft abut against thepartition, and the relative position of the loop and shaft is therebydetermined, and endwise movement prevented. Preferably the sleeve ismade smooth and round and tapered at each' end, as illustrated. Not onlydoes the sleeve form a socketpicce for securing the tip to the shaft,but it also strengthens the Working end ofthe needle. I may,however,dispense with the sleeve, and form a recess or socket in the shaftitself, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The needle is operated in the same manner as other needles of thisclass, in the way .above indicated, and unless otherwise 'specified, theparts are of usual Well-known construction.

The advantages attained by my improvements have been already indicated,and

What I claim as my invention is 1. A crossing needle for Weaving openmesh vfabric having a pliable or elastic bent tip whereby When theneedle is drawn through the fabric its tip bends or yields for thepurpose specified.

2. A crossing needle for Weaving open mesh fabric having a bent, exibleor elastic apertured tip rigidly but removably secured to the needleshaft.

3. A crossing needle for weaving open mesh fabric having a straight,stiff shaft, and a bent tip formed of elastic wire secured to the end ofthe needle shaft.

4E. A crossing needle for Weaving open mesh fabric having a socketedshaft, and a tip formed of elastic Wire bent and looped and secured inthe socket at the end of the needle shaft.

5. A crossing needle provided with a tip bent at a point in line withthe axis of the shaft, and also again bent near its extreme outer end topresent a flattened portion for the purpose specified.

6. The combination in a crossing needle for Weaving open mesh fabric, ofthe shaft, the recessed sleeve secured thereto, and a flexible orelastic tip secured in the recess in the sleeve.

'7. The combination in a crossing needle for Weaving open mesh fabric ofa shaft, the sleeve having recesses at opposite ends and a centralpartition, and a looped spring Wire tip secured to the sleeve.

8. A crossing needle forweaving open mesh fabric, provided with anS-shaped tip formed of elastic steel wire round in cross section, andlooped to form an eye, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDMUND MORRIS.

Witnesses:

A. N. GITTINGS, H. B. Monats.

